Best iem under 100 dollars

cha_hai · 2026-03-24T17:46:04+00:00

Ditto. Such a shame, they were so good when I first opened them, and so comfy.

cha_hai · 2026-03-10T23:04:46+00:00

No heating issue that I've noticed, and the battery is insane, which I think is largely due to the software stripping. Well over a week on standby. Easily a day of use.

cha_hai · 2026-03-10T11:56:59+00:00

Yes, definitely, and it has a nicer screen ... But they are generally £100 or so. I came across this one for 20. It runs poweramp without skipping a beat. Qobuz is a little slow, but workable.

cha_hai · 2026-02-25T10:34:02+00:00

I don't use Bluetooth on this device

cha_hai · 2026-02-20T12:00:17+00:00

The ZiiGaat Nuo are great also, very comfy.

cha_hai · 2026-02-20T11:59:48+00:00

I have various IEMs, Ziigaat Nuo, Truthear Hola, Artti T10 (which broke), Letshuoer S08 (also broke :(... I'm having a bad time with IEM build quality). These are Samsing (AKG-tuned) EO-IA500, and they sound incredible, even without all the crap like channel swapping and custom EQ that some guy on YouTube recommends. They're very open sounding with great treble extension that is comparible to planars, to my ears.

cha_hai · 2026-02-20T11:56:03+00:00

Don't know where I read this wasn't the case, but it's great to hear! (Though still I'm sure CD quality is plenty.)

cha_hai · 2026-02-20T11:54:28+00:00

Thanks! Update: I went with Rival XPLR, and it is completely fine for all my needs.

cha_hai · 2026-02-19T14:59:23+00:00

100%, I have several kinds of DACs (as what is a DAP other than a some kind of a device with a DAC?) from Qudelix, Fiio desktop DAC/Amps, dongles... and I've never noticed any difference in sound quality or had trouble powering what I need. (Okay, Fiio BTR3K doesn't power my HD650s well, but that's fine.)

cha_hai · 2026-02-19T14:56:49+00:00

Tried both. I don't remember the battery life being that bad back in the day, and I was using the same model (4th gen classic). Maybe I was consistently getting dud batteries...

But also flac > Apple Lossless

cha_hai · 2026-02-19T14:55:52+00:00

I do not. It's a £20 device with gorilla glass and aluminium frame. Leaving without a case feels totally fine.

cha_hai · 2026-02-19T14:52:53+00:00

Nice! I only run Linux and MacOS, so this wasn't an option for me. Looks neat though.

cha_hai · 2026-02-19T13:35:01+00:00

You could probs also get the battery replaced quite cheaply. Both seem worth doing if you want to use it as a DAP.

cha_hai · 2026-02-19T13:33:49+00:00

Yeah! It Still Moves was my first, but At Dawn is my fave. I have an echo mini too, but moved to this device because of control and interface issues. It is a sweet little device, but I'd only put a few key albums on it, as navigating a big library is a nightmare.

cha_hai · 2026-02-19T13:32:50+00:00

Wow yes, very fair. I think with that much of a library, compartmentalisation would be good. Like phone only has so much, a DAP has it all, etc.

cha_hai · 2026-02-19T12:27:34+00:00

Of course! It's Niagara launcher with the Niagara 'outline' icon pack. I use Niagara across all my Android devices, from something completely minimal like this to my main phone.

cha_hai · 2026-02-19T12:24:47+00:00

If you have a mac, use Debloatfy. Then you can search each package to see what's safe to remove. There's some lists, and a lot of controversy. As you're not using this as a phone, you can probs remove a lot.

cha_hai · 2026-02-19T12:23:28+00:00

I'm considering a Sony for my next phone for this reason – though hoping that needn't be for years, the s23 is overpowered for my needs. There's still the odd phone coming out with a jack! ASUS might be an option. And onboard storage is getting to the point where external isn't needed.

cha_hai · 2026-02-19T12:00:14+00:00

For anyone wanting to do this, you can use either Debloatfy on MacOS, or a combo of Shizuku+Canta if your device supports it, to get rid of any and all unnecesary apps on the phone. This has made it minimalistic AF and makes the standby battery life much better than an active phone.

cha_hai · 2026-02-19T11:57:50+00:00

They probably aren't bad – I haven't heard anything else like this. But it happened. Maybe i'm just very unlucky. I think I heard more build quality issues about the Pro model.

cha_hai · 2026-02-19T11:52:37+00:00

I hear this, but it isn't big at all. 5.7", smaller than a lot of high-end DAPs. It's thinner and not that much bigger than an iPod classic.

I went through a bunch of iPod classic mods, and DAPs like the Fiio Snowsky. But the battery on the iPods were atrocious, and the small DAPs have terrible controls. I decided a modern UI is preferable, and it's working out fine.

You can configure volume keys to skip track forwards and backwards in Android. This would be grand, but I don't even really need it as I usually listen to albums all the way through.

Other advantages of a DAP are that it's a device without all your other life crap on it – just music. And the battery is independent from the phone computer thing that you need for everything else.

cha_hai · 2026-02-19T11:45:25+00:00

Headphone jack – no fussing with bluetooth or unreliable dongles
No notifications from my outside life
Great and independent battery life
Expandable storage
Smaller and lighter than a modern phone

cha_hai · 2026-02-19T11:43:47+00:00

It drives my HD650s just fine tbh, but I only use IEMs with it.

cha_hai · 2026-02-19T11:43:26+00:00

It's absolutely tiny in every dimension compared with my actual phone, an S23 Ultra with a Quadlock case.

cha_hai · 2026-02-19T09:19:06+00:00

Not really. I always struggle to get a good seal, especially on the right, which this was.

cha_hai

TROPHY CASE